Family-owned Olive Oil & Pomegranate farm practicing Permaculture and rescuing stray cats and dogs
Central Greece
We are a family-run farm in Greece, cultivating pomegranates and olives, with a deep commitment to permaculture, self-sustainability, and animal rescue. Our farm is not just about agriculture—it’s a growing experiment in creating better water systems, fire-resistant landscapes, and regenerative farming practices.
Alongside our farming activities, we care for 35 rescued cats and 4 dogs, giving them a safe and loving home. We’re passionate about finding sustainable ways to work with nature, and we welcome WWOOFers who want to learn, contribute, and be part of our evolving project.
Our work changes with the seasons, but there’s always something to do! Depending on when you visit, you might be:
• Harvesting pomegranates or olives (and maybe making olive oil!).
• Pruning trees to keep them healthy and productive.
• Building permaculture systems like half-moons around plants to improve water retention.
• Experimenting with sustainable farming techniques—we’re always testing new ideas!
• Creating fire-resistant landscaping with carefully chosen plants.
• Helping with our animals, feeding, caring for, and playing with the cats and dogs.
A typical day might start with a fresh breakfast, then a few hours of farm work in the morning, followed by lunch and a break during the hottest part of the day. The afternoons can be for lighter tasks, projects, or helping with the animals. Evenings are relaxed, often spent enjoying a home-cooked meal together.
We offer simple but comfortable accommodations, whether it’s a room in our guest home, our caravan, or a cozy tent under the olive trees (depending on availability). You’ll have access to clean water, basic amenities, and a peaceful natural setting.
Meals are mostly home-cooked, using fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients—we love sharing Mediterranean food, fresh vegetables, olive oil from our trees, homemade bread. We can accommodate dietary preferences with a bit of notice.
When we’re not working, there’s plenty to explore and enjoy:
• The beach is just a short hike away—perfect for swimming, sunbathing, or just unwinding.
• Hiking & nature exploration—the surrounding landscape is stunning, full of trails and beautiful scenery.
• Music, cooking, and creative projects—we love to share stories, cook together, and learn from each other.
If you’re looking for a hands-on experience in sustainable farming, animal care, and innovative land stewardship, while enjoying Greek nature and culture, we’d love to welcome you! 🌿🐾🌊
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Learning opportunities
Vegetable farming
Fruit or nut farming
Forestry
Beekeeping
Flower farming
Aromatic or medicinal plants, teas
Vegetable or fruit preservation
Green Building
Renewable energy production
Methods or systems
Biological pest control
Biodynamic agriculture
Holistic management
No-till farming
Permaculture
Regenerative agriculture
Host type
Nonprofit / Community
4
Hectares
|
9.9
Acres
Melina
Member since 2025
Languages spoken:
English, German, Greek
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Response rate: 28%
Response time: typically within 10 days
Central Greece
Athens
Reviews
Kaisa
Finland
•
February 2026
Where to even start!❤️
My stay at Andreas place was beautiful and memorable. The nature felt big and strong and we lived by it. Andreas made me feel welcome and safe. He spoke good english and was caring host.
I spent one month here and This was my very first wooffing experience.
After waking up dogs and cats always came to say hi and give morning hugs.
There was 5 days of work and 2 rest days in a week. We started working around 9 and before that we enjoyed breakfast and coffee with the view.
We worked until lunch break. And then continued the work until something like 4pm. Days were different and the weater ruled our working hours. Some days we finished earlyer and some days later.
In the evenings we played cards with other volunteers, baked, rested, ate more, watched a movie outside……
I got tired quite early and I did sleep like a baby until the moring light woke me up!
The work we got to do (it was november) was mainly around olives: collecting, sorting, carrying, clening the branches and so on. There was also a bit of digging earth to save water. Digging dry plants and planting cactuses to prevent fire!
The work was physical! Everything we did had holistic touch on it. It did feel like we are honouring and living with the nature.
Andreas provided healhy and filling meals for us. Meriddean diet! Very delicious! He paid attention so that the food was well together with how the weather was. And he didn’t forget to treat us with sweets as well. Andreas is tr...
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Laura
Germany
•
April 2025
I had a wonderful time at the elpida project! Evia is a beautiful island and the little hill where the project is has the most incredible view over a wild coast with turquoise water. It truly is a paradise for animals because Andreas loves and cares for every single on of them. The dogs love to go hiking and some of the cats just jump into your lap asking for cuddles. (And yes there are a lot of them - I learned at least 15 names in three days) It is a family owned project with a great vision for a Community.
I was one of the first WWOOFers here living with Andreas on the hill, and I felt save and heard. We had to figure out the schedule and variety of work at the beginning and since I could talk openly about everything, we quickly found our way and tasks. For example pruning, weeding, making firewood, cooking, ... . Sometimes we worked as a Team with other WWOOFers and sometimes we got to work autonomously. Andreas explains everything well and will share his visions and ideas with you. We talked a lot in German and his english is good as well.
The area is very rural and perfect for hikes and strolling around. The beach is a 45 min walk away. Public transport is not really a thing here but Andreas would often drive us or pick us up from the beach.
All in all my experience on the hill was enriching. Even though it was hard saying goodbye to all the new friends I would come back anytime :)
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Leonne
Germany
•
April 2025
Dear Elpida family,
I wanted to thank you for welcoming me into your beautiful home and project! I miss our talks during Greek meals and the cats that try to steal our food while eating 😂! You were very welcoming and very open for ideas and feedback ! Even though our opinions weren’t always the same, I learned a lot from you and the work in nature, and living from what nature has to offer ! Lots of love to all of you guys and to all the cats and dogs 🐕🥺! I hope to see you again sometime and to see how much your farm has and will evolve in the future! I can only recommend !
Lots of love ❤️
Léonne
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Josephine
Canada
•
March 2025
staying on Evia was amazing! thank you so much to Andreas for your amazing hospitality.
Evia is absolutely gorgeous with beautiful views down to the sea and across to the snow-capped mountains of the mainland. The farm is about a 45 minute walk down to a gorgeous and relatively secluded beach, but Andreas often offered to drive us to and from or at least pick us up after - thank you again! There are four dogs and about twenty cats living on the farm with us, and I will miss them dearly! The dogs would often accompany me on hikes up the mountain or down to the beach.
Andreas cooked delicious meals, was happy to accommodate for any dietary needs/wants, and even took us (me and another WWOOFer who was staying at the same time) out to a restaurant to celebrate Greek Independence Day! he was always eager to share his recipes/teach us about his favorite Greek meals (and especially desserts:)
In terms of the work, we typically worked 4-5 hours 5 days a week at a relatively relaxed pace. Andreas was careful to check in with us about our tasks and made it clear we should take breaks to rest and hydrate as needed. The work varied from construction around the farm, digging channels to direct rainwater around the olive trees, and pruning olive or pomegranate trees. Andreas is in the process of reviving the farm and I’m very excited to see how it turns out!
Overall - a fantastic experience, wonderful place, and I felt very safe and cared for, even as a solo traveler. thank you!
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